TO MY GOOD BUDDY

If there is someone have shared life stories and experiences with, then it has to be this mjango, Tom. I like to call him Tommah, because it sounds amusing. When i look at him, i see him from the inside out. He is my favorite Kamba buddy. Na si io kikamba anapenda sana. Mbossy weh! But that does not make him a kasee. Not entirely.
He loves the ghetto, he has lived there his entire life. The little sheng I know, I stole from him. Personally, when I speak sheng, he says I sound like a muzungu who has been in Kenya for six months. He tagged me as the English man. “Ngoso wachia Vick.” He used to say.
Tommah is one reasonable mjango. Though he will forgive me when i say that he has made some bad choices along the road. But who didn’t? You know young men mjango. But i must say that one thing that has kept him motivated is the way I live my life. Ambitious. Just how I like to be real and true to myself. Fitting in my own shoes and daring to be unique. He said all these. I have an attitude of a victor. I’d never settle for less. I appreciate good things and ‘good things’ (get the difference) when i see them. Not a man pleaser. I say what i mean and mean what i say. A very serious guy but a huge joker at the same time.
The traits Tommah describes me with are endless.
We taught each other on how to handle the female species. The do’s and dont’s. I bet he is still in amusement about why I follow brains before beauty. Or say, I dismiss beauty because of lack of brains. I don’t mean to insult anyone. (Heh if you feel offended mdada, then don’t wait to be told you don’t have brains.)
I taught him how to treat a lady in a manner that ata kama hana ‘kakitu kwa mfuko’ , she would never forget him. Chances are, they would become best of friends. And about relationships, ‘scandals ni kawaida’ they say. We discarded that ideology. In fact we settled for no relationships.
Not that we didn’t want. Okay not like that, we could have the capability and capacity to want, but we subscribed to a different mode of mentality. A mentality that is focused; to thoroughly hustle first which would eventually set our young hearts on fire. And with that in its place, we will be hot enough for mdadas to run on top of each other for us. Don’t mind mdada, every man has his own theory on how to get to you. Some would use the big bang theory. Though in short, it is all about not rushing things. Brains before loins know?
We embraced simplicity; because simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
Tommah knows some of my embarrassing moments. And could I dare fail to know of his? But there is one that is ever at the tip of his tongue. Sometimes I regret why I let it out, a good kind of regret…know? He loved my stories because of how dramatic I am. At the mention of drama, I remember what hell of an actor he is. “Jeez, Lupita come for this guy.”
So I was talking about the story he loves. I loved starting my stories with the phrase “zile enzi sikuwa na ndevu…” I was out with two mdadas. Please don’t ask why they were two. We later went to Tricks where a mutual friend of theirs was to show up. I was standing in between the two as we waited for him. Then? One pretty lady and I mean pretty indeed (Remember i know ‘good things’when i see them eeh?) was just exiting.  But I could tell even without being told, that she had an attitude. The attitude that could make a man cry. The big moment of shame came. Though i can say it was unpredictable.
She began with the mdada on my right. Hug kapewa. “Hiii dear…” the attitude chic pulled an opening clause. I realized they were longtime friends.
“Hi you. Mambo,” my friends replied. Since I was in the middle, I expected to also be greeted with a hug too and nothing less. Well, not because she knew me or i knew her, but because i was standing in the middle of her two friends, who are also my friends. And i damn mean I was standing in between! I can’t just be bypassed as if i was not there. I was convinced that she would consider and at least ease up the attitude for heaven’s sake. But to my utter embarrassment, she literally skipped me as if I wasn’t even there. Okay, yea to her, I was not there at all. OOMMGG!! She even didn’t dare look at me.  I wanted to fall into a koma. That was just too much mjango. I wonder what went through her mind when she decided to do ‘that’. Yes, ‘that’ which I cannot mention again. It is not funny. Aki malight skin? Ni sawa tu.
She moved on to hug the mdada on my left, with a wide smile as if she didn’t know what she had just done. I thank my mjango tactics that taught me kutokuwa na kihehere ya kuhug hug waschana; otherwise I would have remained there looking like a sculpture with my arms stretched ready to receive a from hug her. Imagine, even a handshake? I was not worth that too? Aargh!
I would have never forgiven myself for causing such a public amusement. After she left, there was a moment of awkward silence among the three of us. The two knew what had just happened and couldn’t find a way to console me. So I ended up consoling myself.
“She is so mean,” I said. That was what they were waiting for in order to let out their suppressed laughter.
And they were like “I knooow… Jeez! Vick we feel you, tutakupea hugs usijali. Zote zenye unataka.”
Tommah just loves that story.
About my blog? Tommah is my huge fan. A die hard mjango for my blog. I have the foundation of The MjangoSeries upon the motivation and optimism of people like Tommah. What would I have done without his undying support? Ever reminding me that I’m going places. He introduced me to my writing mentor. Mheshimiwa Jackson Biko. Two time award winning best creative writing blogger. Having met him through his non-fiction creative work on Saturday Magazine and TheNairoban. Virtually extending the meeting to his blog page, Biko Zulu and later his writing master class. I couldn’t ask for a greater inspiration. Biko is just phenomenal I tell you.
Wow those were the days my mandevu had just sprouted. I was an exemplary poet too. I had a crown for spoken word. Being very influential, the love of poetry infected him. He has never treated that infection ever since . The mjango has got mistari I say. So I left poetry to him, in good will.
I like it when he calls me a perfectionist. It’s a weakness that I love. Sometimes we argue too. Who are we to be friends beyond the adage, “Friends fight”?
What more can I say than he is as good as a blood brother. You might be wondering why I’m talking about someone you barely know anything about. Well, let’s just say it’s one of my best ways to show someone like him, how much he is appreciated. This is not something that can be done on a daily basis. Though once it’s done, it means the world to such a person. I had no other way to do it.
Mjango I had to do this after a time he battled with a sad reality, a huge loss in his life. Thank heavens, for as far as I know, the pain is eased by now. I’m talking about the pain of losing your own blood. Tommah lost his small brother. They say the ties of blood are stronger than any other and his, broke all of a sudden on the 1st of April 2017.
Emmanuel Muthini was his name. He had just turned ten. From what I heard about the young boy, he was a bundle of joy to embrace. His Grandfather was his best friend. I bet he had just begun gathering the latter’s last bits of wisdom. Perhaps looking forward to making use of it as he grows up. Not to make lousy mistakes that this generation does.
He looked up to his big brother; Tommah, for a lot. He was an academic champ in class four; I don’t want to imagine how it went with their mother. Uchungu wa mwana ajuaye ni mama. Today, though a month later, I share the pain. But at the same time, I bring all my readers and mjangoz to put their glasses up to cheer that young handsome soul, wherever he is in Ahera .
An ear condition that developed to meningitis is what brought this young lad’s life to a sudden end. I remember the last time I talked to Tommah before the fateful day dawned, he was requesting whether I’d procrastinate a deal we had; because he had to take Emmanuel to hospital. The next time he came to my mind again, was when I received a WhatsApp message from Derrick {Tommah’s photography colleague and my loyal buddy too} of his regret to announce the sudden demise of Emmanuel. Only to find out that Emmanuel is Tommah’s very own brother. He was laid to rest on 8th April at his home.
This was Tommah’s poetic farewell to his little bro……
“I know that no matter what
You will always be with me.
When life separates us
I’ll know its only your soul saying goodbye to your body but your spirit will be with me always
When I see a bird chirping on a nearby branch
I will know it is you singing to me.
When a butterfly gently brushes by me so care freely I will know its you assuring me you are free from pain
When the gentle fragrance of a flower catches my attention I will know its you reminding me to appreciate the simple things in life
When the sun shining through my window awakens me I will feel the warmth of your love
When I hear the rain pitter patter against my window sill I will hear your words of wisdom and will remember what you taught me so well that without rain trees cannot grow
Without rain flowers cannot bloom
Without life’s challenges I cannot grow strong
When I look out the sea I will think of your endless love for your family
When I think of mountains, their majesty and magnificence
I will think of your courage for your country
No matter where I am your spirit will be beside me
For i know that no matter what you will always be with me
While losing a brother is painful,this funeral poem reminds us that although his journey on earth is over, his journey is just beginning.”
His journeys just began
Tommah, bro, I had no better way to appreciate you. I know you understand why this came a month late. But it’s value can never depreciate even with time. Now my heart is settled, since I had promised myself to do it. Anyway, we have a world and a life to conquer. Just like we vowed to in those early days. Ama niaje kasee? Heh…
Tommah is the mjango on the feature picture.
Thanks to Tybalt for the heads up on Emmanuel’s farewell ceremony.
#Onelove               #PamojaMsee